Last week, the government disputed claims made by Wildlife Defence League that the wolf cull is being executed more inhumanely than previously understood. On Monday, a Forests, Lands and Natural Resources spokesperson denied the use of a “Judas wolf” during their culls. In response, today Wildlife Defence League is releasing part of a field interview they conducted while researching the cull and caribou habitat protection last month.

“Is the government being dishonest with the public, who are footing the bill for this slaughter? Or are they just out of touch with the reality of their kill program?” said Tommy Knowles, Campaign Director of Wildlife Defence League, “Whatever the case, we need to get to the bottom of it, and request that the government clarify what tactics are really being used in the cull.”

The government insists its wolf cull is humane by veterinary standards, but details revealed by the source, who states in the recording that he works for the Mountain Caribou Recovery Project, suggest otherwise. In the recordings, the source explains the radio-collared wolf is left to live after his pack has been killed. (Clip #5.) He also explains that within a few months the collared wolf will have packed up with another two or three wolves (Clip #4) who will then be “taken out” (Clip #5).

Wildlife Defence League was in the South Selkirk researching and documenting the cull and caribou habitat protection. While in the field they spoke with individuals with direct ties to the wolf cull and caribou recovery programs.

Source: Since I’ve been back and worked with this program.

WDL: What program is that?

Source: The caribou recovery.

WDL: Do you guide or are you just by yourself?

Source: I’m a retired wildlife patrol guide. Now I just capture them and put a radio collar on them.

WDL: So you radio collar wolves?

Source: Yah, I do that as well.

WDL: How does that work?

Source: You set out a foot trap that’s got a gap in it so it won’t break bones or do any tissue damage and then you get one and then you tranquilize it and they’re submissive, they’re a piece of cake to work on. I have a video of one I did, its tail is wagging, just like a dog.

Source: The survivor, I got the collar on, he’s not a dominant one he’s a subdominant male and sometimes he’s with buddies and other time’s he’s got no one.

WDL: What do they use to track?

Source: This reports to a satellite every 4 hours and it will tell you where he’s at and you can tell how many kills it has because if they anchor in an area for more than 24 hours, if he’s not moving for 24 hours he’s sitting on a kill then that gives you the GPS location.

WDL: So how are they killing them, are there just hunters on the ground?

Source: No they got a helicopter.

WDL: Does the heli fly lots, are we going to be in the way here?

Source: No no it’s all done they just left one with a radio collar on and then they can buzz in see if he’s got new recruitment, we’re right against the states. Within two or three months there will be another couple or three here.

WDL: So they just spend a few days killing wolves then they’re out of here?

Source: Yah cause you got a radio collar on it and they know where the one is at and they leave that one with a radio collar to live and now they can come back and okay he’s got buddies, better take them out.